YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE?
You must have heard this question before, at least once…
Just in case you haven’t. To have an idea, picture this scenario.
A bus conveying 24 passengers, is on a journey. The passengers include CEOs, businessmen, other kinds/classes of people, and YOU. On the way, you were attacked by some highway robbers, heavily armed! They are ready to assault and destroy. You could see it in their eyes.
Your vehicle was stopped and you were all ordered to get down, kneel/lie down. WIth AK 47s pointed at you, the leader of the gang shouts, “your money or your life!!” and commanded you to drop all your assets, money, everything!
Those who chose NOT to forgo their belongings (they chose MONEY) were shot and killed right there!
Those who chose to SURRENDER their belongings (chose to LIVE) were SPARED, but with nothing to take home, no money, nothing!
It’s your turn to choose. what would you choose? Would you choose to LIVE or DIE?!
I’m sure that just the sight of a gun pointed to your head will probably make you choose to save your life. But there have been real cases of those who chose their money and ended up losing both their lives and money. Seems foolish right? Well, is it really foolish?
YOU WANT TO CHOOSE YOUR LIFE?
Let’s take a look at the implications of choosing your life. Choosing your life means you lose your money; your hard-earned money. You can always earn back what you have lost as long as you have life in you. In fact, some religious folks believe that this is the right option; e.g. choosing God over money. All these arguments are quite valid but for the mindsets that fuel them.
Money is not evil!
Money is not evil neither is loving or wanting to make money evil. Most people choose “LIFE” because, “LIFE” to them means “Being HAPPY”. They feel they have to choose between happinness and money. So they chose to be HAPPY, and discard any thought of being RICH. When this conviction about money is taken to the extreme, it becomes a catalyst for poverty.
The issue of how much importance money should hold in one’s life is a controversial one. Money is made to seem like it is wrong, evil and meant to be avoided. As a result, rich people are oftentimes insulted and marked out as evil because of their wealth.
The hate talk about money will breed a mindset that would lead to abject poverty. Money is important; money makes life happier, and more fulfilling. It is true that living for a higher purpose other than money is fulfilling but it is wrong to think that having money or being rich would deny you a PURPOSEFUL/FULFILLING/HAPPY life.
SO DO YOU MEAN I SHOULD CHOOSE MONEY?
I haven’t said so.
In the armed robbery scenario, choosing money might cost you both your life and your money. Choosing money over life is inadvisable. The robbers can kill you and cart away your gold. The basic truth is that no sane robber would expect to hear anyone pick money over life. And anyone who dares choose MONEY would soon knock on heaven’s door seconds after.
Not a good choice, you’d agree.
TAKING A STANCE
I guess you are wondering what side I’m on. I’m not writing to take sides.
I’m writing this to point your attention to a bigger reality, which concerns everyone. Not everyone would experience robbery in a lifetime. But definitely, everyone wants MONEY(to be RICH) and also want to live a LIFE of PURPOSE/FULFILLMENT/HAPPINESS (whatever that means to you).
My point is; WHY CHOOSE? When you can have BOTH!
They are mutually exclusive, as much as they are mutually intertwined.
One does not contradict the other, whereas, one can support the other.
You can have LIFE without MONEY and vice versa. However, MONEY makes LIFE more fulfilling, as much as, LIFE gives meaning to the essence of MONEY.
Money can get you all the luxuries on Earth but money alone in itself cannot bring happiness. For emphasis, it is definitely possible to live happily without money but money makes a happy life happier.
LIVE; live for a higher purpose, live for your passion, live for impact. However, don’t let it be an excuse to be poor. You can be RICH and LIVE your LIFE at the same time.
In addition, it is impossible to totally disconnect money and life.
If you think that living for a higher purpose like living for God, means, YOU CAN NEVER BE RICH; then recall renowned Men of God (e.g. Bishop Oyedepo, Pst. E.A. Adeboye, Pst. Chris Oyakhilome and many more). They are WEALTHY Pastors, living for GOD!
There are also several others who live out their passion and are also very wealthy like; Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Richard Branson and many more. Richard Branson calls it “fun”. He lives happy and enjoys life, and he is STINKINGLY RICH!
In Conclusion…
The relationship between money and life can be likened to the two human eyes. All things being equal, one can function (see clearly) without the other. But when the two are opened. You could SEE MORE CLEARLY, and have a BROADER VIEW.
Again, I’m asking… YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE?
My advice, CHOOSE BOTH!